Mapping 45KM of Forest Roads in Sweden

Forest road networks are the backbone of timber transport, yet their true accessibility is often unknown. For large forest owners and associations, understanding whether forest roads support heavy transport is a critical challenge.

Having a clear, objective assessment directly affects transport safety, route planning, smoother operations, and long‑term forest road development across the network.

Objective

Our customer, a large forest owner association in Sweden, was looking to strengthen visibility and to better understand how transportation trucks could navigate forest roads and tighter curves.

To support this objective, Arbonaut worked closely with the customer to analyze 45 kilometers of road network and introduce a standardized, data-driven approach to forest road assessment.

Our Approach

Our experts produced multiple complimentary analyses, resulting in a comprehensive view of forest road conditions, including:

  • Road network geometry
  • Road width
  • Curve radius evaluation as a critical factor for truck maneuverability
  • Road classification
  • Ditch presence and depth analysis
Volume of trees in the forest

Ditch analysis & depth

Identification of ditches and depth alongside the roads.
Site index of forests

Road class

Classification of road into a specific class based on the radius and width for the road.
Thinning needs analysis

Road profile

Visualization of how the road is shaped in 10 meter segments.

Roads segments have been classified into four levels, making it easy to understand current access and to identify opportunities for improvement.

“Based on curve radius, we calculated the road width required for a road segment to meet each of the four forest road classes. The analysis clearly defines the width needed to classify a road into a higher class, providing an objective basis for road assessment and planning.” — Ingrid Doriguetto, Remote Sensing Specialist & Project Manager, Arbonaut

Value and Results

  • Objective visibility into forest road condition and accessibility
  • Decision‑ready insights to support safe truck movements
  • Clear foundation for future road development discussions

This enabled the customer to analyze forest roads and plan routes with greater confidence.

Next Steps

Arbonaut and the customer plan to continue their collaboration, building on the insights and experience gained through this project. The partnership provides a strong foundation for further development and future initiatives related to forest road assessment.